Went to KL over the weekend with my family and in-laws to complete my OCBC Cycle 2016 "Double" - again, using my Brompton for ease of transportation (or the lack of it).

LOGISTICSBefore I talk about the cycling event, let me touch on the challenges of travelling in a car on a 4-hour drive with 4 adults and 3 small kids. Due to space constraint, we couldn't bring too much stuff along (or shop a lot). Navigating was surprisingly easy around KL, thanks to Google Map (Offline). We stayed at Miramar Hotel (2-star) for S$100 per night (includes free breakfast). The family room that we got was quite large though the single toilet was a bit of a bummer. But the kids liked the extra space so it was all good. I won't recommend staying there if you don't have your own transport. When driving around Malaysia, get a Touch N Go card with at least RM200 to pay for highway tolls and parking (especially at shopping malls).

OCBC Cycle KL 2016 - Pre-Race (Saturday)The OCBC Cycle KL was held at Dataran Merdeka, which was just 10 minutes bicycle ride from the hotel. I found that KL is not bicycle friendly (or even wheelchair friendly). While the road quality is ok, safety isn't as the drivers are just too aggressive. The pedestrian pavements at many areas are really in poor condition. They really need to improve their maintenance regime. What's the point of having fancy infrastructures that are not working...

Back to the event, I collected my race pack on a Saturday morning. No queue but the collection area was underwhelming when compared to the Singapore version. No support/participation from local bicycle shops so I couldn't spend my Malaysian Ringgit... I just came, collect and went back to the hotel in just under an hour.

Race DayWoke up very early as all cyclists have to report at the starting point by 6am. This was the 2nd time OCBC Cycle was held in KL so the number of participants was rather low at around 1300 riders. I'm riding a Brompton so I am under the Foldable Bike category (the other two being Road and Mountain Bike). There were prizes to be won for the top 3 riders.

The route for this year's edition saw us covering 40km (3 laps of 13 km/lap). There were 2 long ascents to conquer but the rest of the route was fairly flat. I didn't race that hard as I was not familiar with the route, especially the downhill sections.

I finished at 1 hr 35 mins, coming in 20th out 133 riders in the foldable bike category. Not bad for a first timer. Would I go again next year? Probably not. I don't like riding laps around the same route. I did enjoy the uphill challenge and hope the coming Tour de Bintan would provide me more of that!

The OCBC Cycle 2016 was my first participation in a cycling event and it went great! I even got a video grab of me riding from the flag off!!!

I arrived fairly early at 6am and was glad to get near the front of about 300 riders. Once the ride started at 7am, it was simply getting passed the slower riders and picking up the pace along the first stretch of Nicoll Highway.

I was going at max FTP (32km/hr) on the Brompton upon reaching the F1 pitlane. All that training had paid off as I clocked better than my target time, at 54 minutes for the 23km Straits Time Ride.

According to Strava, I was ranked 9th out of 108 riders. Not bad for someone on a foldable bike! I even "flew" down Benjamin Sheare's Bridge at a breakneck speed of 56km/hr! Was kinda dangerous when I looked at the video...

Going down Sheare's Bridge at 56km/hr!!! That's my head... leaning forward to reduce as much drag as possible...

The route was was quite interesting but it could do with a lot less sharp u-turns... I've always wanted to ride my bike on the expressway and it was a pity that ECP section was rather short (had to turn back near Big Splash)... oh well... overall, the event was well organised and I also spent quite a lot at the Expo, picking up a new front light (Moon Comet-X) and stocking up on energy drink and bars for the next few weeks of training.

Can't wait for my first overseas cycling event in KL next month which will be even tougher!

Final Training Session for OCBC Cycle (SG)The OCBC Cycle (Singapore) is this weekend. My preparation for the event started in late July and I rode my last round of training session this evening with another 28km ride. I felt good overall.

The only issue now is which bike should I ride this Sunday... my Brompton (aka Brommie) has been a joy to ride and despite posting my personal bests this week, I know I can go even faster on my Trek road bike which can be 30% faster than Brommie... I've already signed up for OCBC Cycle (KL) in November and I will definitely ride Brommie as it's easier to transport in a car. Hmm... I may just go on Brommie this Sunday as I don't really want to ride so hard for my first sportive even though I can now ride 180watts/hr... will decide soon.

In the meantime, I've been upgrading Brommie to suit my riding style. Below is a list of upgrades that I've made in no particular order of when I purchased the items:

​Upgrade #1 (Brompton Firm Suspension) - Mini Review

​When I first got Brommie, the standard suspension was simply too bouncy for me especially when I ride hard. I'm 77kg and I read that a Firm suspension would lessen the bouncing on poor road conditions. So I went down to Mighty Velo to get the Brompton firm suspension block for S$20. Installation was simple. Just remove the nut (just below the FIRM text), remove the Standard suspension block, then fixed the Firm one in the same way. You would need a 10mm spanner/wrench to unscrew the nut though.

I tested the new suspension using the same route and effort. Found the ride to be better especially when I went into Time Trial position (on a Brompton??? yes you can!). Still some bouncing if I ride hard e.g. cadence >80 rpm at 5th gear. Alternative, you could get the 3rd party Jenny Suspension for $85 for even firmer ride... anyway, I'm ok with what I got.

B+ score for the purchase.

Upgrade #2 - Ergon GP1 Handlebar Grips - Mini Review

I didn't like the original sponge-like grips that came with the Brompton... They were just too small for my hands which ached when I did the 75km ride earlier this month.

So I got the Ergon Grips GP1 from Mighty Velo for S$65 (don't buy there as you can get it for S$51 at BRU-Yishun...In fact, don't buy non-Brompton stuff at Mighty Velo... overpriced!!!). Installation was a challenge as the M-type handlebars is not long enough to fit the grips... so I had to use my mini-saw to cut the excess. I made the mistake of over-cutting by 0.5cm but it's no big deal. Can still adjust the brakes to close up the gap (which you can see in the photo). You won't need to cut for S-type handlebars. To remove the original sponge grips, just use a penknife and slice it down.

The Ergon grips worked wonders. The wider area at the palm is fantastic. In fact, I can now lower my back and rest my forearms on the grips/handlebars just like in a Time Trial position. It really helps reduce wind drag and I can go about 15% faster with the same effort. This would be quite hard to do on the sponge grips as the Brompton has a twitchy handling due to the 16 inch wheels.

Overall, an A+ purchase. (just don't buy from Might Velo if you can help it...)

Upgrade #3 - Brooks B17 Saddle (Select) - Mini Review

The original Brompton saddle wasn't all that bad but I kept reading how wonderful Brooks leather saddles are for long rides on the Brompton and was tempted to give it a try... I got the saddle from Mighty Velo for S$192.50 and was a bit sceptical at first as the feel of the leather felt like wood (knock-knock kind of wood sound). I was told that it would take about 300km to "break-in" the leather and I felt that it's somewhat true as I'm about to reach that magic figure. I did suffer a bit during my first long ride - two days after getting the saddle. Tonight, it felt strangely comfortable when I rode on it... I'm sure it would get better over time and my bottom would love me for getting the Brooks :)

Installing the saddle was a bit tricky at first due to the hard leather flap blocking access to the nut and bolt. Just gently pull the leather and use a short-sided allen key to tighten it. Don't worry, the leather is really tough.

A B-grade purchase for now...

Brompton Mini-O Bag & Beto Waterbottle Cage

I've been going back and forth about buying the Brompton Mini-O bag because of the S$200 price-tag. Mighty Velo was selling it at 20% discount for the older version in August but I missed that promotion. I though of waiting for another sale or try my luck getting 2nd hand via Togoparts.

I realised that waiting isn't my strong trait so I bit the bullet(wallet) and got the bag earlier today. It's really a good-size bag for short or day-long rides. It allows me to simply stash my essentials without the need to carry a bag or waist pouch which would have been rather uncomfortable. Quality-wise is good, being waterproof and reflective but I was a bit wary after the shop assistant told me to be careful when opening the top. He advised me that I opened it by pulling the two nylon tabs instead of peeling the copper buttons which could come off entirely... pfft... so much for durability...

Once opened, you'll find a small zipper pocket and a dongle to clip your keys. The bag also came with a shoulder sling which I doubt I would use that often due to the large/hard clip-on area on the other side of the bag. Anyway, it's good to have one just in case I need to carry around. Now that I'm using the mini-O instead of the T-bag, I will no longer have an external pocket to hold my water bottle. I could have bought the Monkii waterbottle cage for S$23 from Mighty Velo but read that it takes some force to unclip in order to remove the bottle. This is a no-no for me as I drink while on the move. Fortunately, Jet Cycle or Jet Hobby, my favourite place to buy affordable bike accessories have a much cheaper (S$8.90) and better option. Beto Bottle Cage is a vice-like clamp waterbottle cage which doesn't require any screws. You can see in the earlier photos of how the cage is clamped. I've already tested it and it's very easy to just pull out the water bottle for a quick sip. Bought two - one placed on the stem and the other on the seat post (if I'm doing >50km rides).

Overall, a B+ purchase for the bag and A for the water-bottle cage Afternote: should tape up the stem to protect the paint from being scratched by the screw)

44T Chainring

Brommie came with a 50T chainring which is ok for gentle hills and flats. However, it was simply not sufficient at the lowest gear when I was riding up Benjamin Sheares Bridge. So I got a 44T (-12%) from Mighty Velo for S$85 (again pricey) and did an easy installation to replace the 50T. Thus far, the low gearing is marginally better and I will use the 5th gear more often at speeds of 28km/hr at 80 rpm cadence. Can go >30km/hr at ger 6th but I'm not that fit yet... Previously on a 50T, I only used gears 1 to 4. A 39T chainring would have been cool but I might end up being too slow on flats. *Shrugs*

My 4-year old Trek Alpha 2.1, hooked up to an Elite Digital Smart B+ trainer for virtual cycling on Strava

​Having rediscovered my interest in cycling in July 2016, I've started putting serious mileage on my 4-year old Trek road bike. Sadly, riding a road bike feels unsafe on our Singapore roads. While it can move relative fast at +30km/hr, it's not fast enough to keep up with traffic. Hence I would ride the Trek on low traffic areas such as Seletar Airport or the surrounding Park Connectors.

I signed up for the OCBC Cycle in October so I needed to level up my fitness quickly. Riding on my road bike for short distances (i.e. less than 20km) can be a chore as you need to look the part when riding on a road bike (like wearing cycling jersey, helmet, gloves, cycling shoes...). So I turned to virtual cycling portal, Zwift. It's been great experience as hooking up the Trek on a smart trainer allows me to cycle on somewhat real-life conditions. Buuuuut, you can't improve by just riding at home and I really wanted to ride long distance outdoors.

After a short search online, I got myself a used 1-year old 6-speed Brompton via Togoparts.sg for $1900. While I don't plan on bringing this bike on public transport, the abilty to fold up is a nice option. You can see the photo below of how I strapped the Brompton on my Yamaha Tricity with a pair of Rokr straps.

Folded Brompton on the back of Yamaha Tricity. I used two pieces of Rokr Straps.

I gave my used Brompton a full servicing after getting it from its previous owner. Also swapped the original saddle to a Brooks B17. After struggling to climb Benjamin Sheare's bridge on the default 50T chainring, I bought a smaller 44T, giving me -12% ratio at the lowest gear. Planned to change the grips to an Ergon GP1. Here's a couple of pic of my Brommie:

So how does it feel like riding on a foldable bike?

Well, this is not my first foldable bike. My 2008 Dahon Speed D7 is my first which currently resides at my workplace as an exercise bike. In terms of speed, given the same effort of riding, the Trek is naturally the fastest (averaging 25km/hr), followed by the 20" wheels of the Dahon (20km/hr) and then the 16" wheels Brompton (18km/hr).

I recently did my longest ride on a bicycle yesterday for a total distance of 75km (4hr 30min). I rode 90% on Park Connectors which was mostly a pleasant experience. There were some constructions going on which required some detour. Note to cyclists who are crossing over from Pasir Ris to Punggol, the Lorong Halus track is undergoing renovation works so have to take a long detour via main roads in order to reach the pedestrian-only bridge.

My Brooks saddle hasn't broken in yet so my butt started to ache at the 40km mark. By 50km, I started to "bonk" due to lack of carbo and electrolytes (burned 2400 calories on this ride).I was almost in tears for the last 10km... but it felt great when I reached home... Need to have a better fuelling strategy or go at a slower pace for my next long ride.

Overall, the Brompton is a great bike. I feel like riding a well-built vintage car. It is slow and heavy at 13kg but that's what it is supposed to be. To enjoy the surroundings and take life easy. If I want to go fast, there's always the Trek. But we don't live in picturesque mountains of the French alps, so I don't feel motivated to ride long distance on the Trek. I really like the front block which allows me to fix a bag carrier. Once I can cycle 100km in 5 hours without bonking, I might consider touring on the Brompton.